Getting Used To This Distraction
by pages.of.altaire
Summary: "Distraction is good!" Barbara Gordon persuaded. "Quite frankly, you don't get distracted enough!" Now Rob has even more things to do, like balancing his love life with school and fighting crime, not to mention that long conversation with Bruce...
1. A Word of Advice: Distraction is Good!

**Author's Note:** This is my first Young Justice fanfic, and I must say that some parts could be considered AU. I was quite generous with Robin's age and liberal with Barbara's tomboy personality. So please forgive me.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Young Justice, naturally.

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><p>"What do you mean you can't go?" Barbara Gordon exclaimed, almost dropping her books.<p>

Dick sighed in mild annoyance. "Look, Barb. I'm already over the top of my head with schoolwork; add _swing dance lessons_ on top of _that_, and you get one royally pissed off Dick Grayson that means disaster for everyone. Heavy on the dis _and_ the aster."

The term "swing dance lessons" was created by the both of them in order to keep their alter egos a secret within the campus.

"But Wally is a great guy!" Barb defended her fellow redhead. "Where are you gonna get another guy with gorgeous eyes and a hot body-"

Grayson faltered in his fumbling with the locker and went pink in the face.

"Not to mention that he's probably more loyal than a guard dog when it comes to you, and that smile is to _die_ for." The girl attacked verbally, shoving her books in along with Dick's even though it clearly says 'Richard J. Grayson' on the locker door.

Dick gave her a suspicious look. "…He paid you to do this, didn't he?"

Barbara crossed her arms. "I don't know that you're talking about."

"Ha!" The boy cackled and slammed his locker shut. "How much, Barb?"

"That's not the point."

"_How much_, Barb?" Grayson pressed her for answers as they walked to the cafeteria.

"…Two tickets for my dad and me to go see Silver Mist at the horse race. I don't even know how he got hold of them." She mumbled as she got in line for a salad. "But that's _really_ not the point here! I know you like Wally, and he's crazy about you too. You guys would be great together and you know it! Just give him a chance. I'm sure you can fit just one date into your oh-so-busy rich boy schedule."

Dick started to waver. "I just can't afford to be distracted right now."

The ginger scooped vast amounts of black olives on top her plate. "Distraction is good!" She persuaded, picking up a few olives with her hands and munching on them. "Quite frankly, you don't get distracted enough."

Dick Grayson fell silent as he walked outside with his chicken parmesan and with Barbara in tow. He just wanted to make Bruce proud of having a son like him, so that's why he's been pushing himself to produce good results in school, out on the field with his comrades, and even during training. Richard loves Bruce like a father, but being a non-biological son is difficult; he feels like there are boundaries that a relative could cross but he couldn't.

Like making Bruce Wayne angry for example; _his_ son probably could act like a brat once in a while and get away with it, but that's because it's the offspring of Bruce Wayne. But for someone like Richard Grayson, the son of _John Grayson_ and _adoptive_ child of the millionaire, making Bruce angry was a no-no in his book. They weren't...close.

However, at the same time, Dick also likes Wally West. And even though he's been nothing but respectable and obedient towards Bruce, Dick Grayson needed to be his own person, to have his own life. He's sixteen now, it's time to take a few spontaneous turns off the road which Bruce Wayne _and_ Richard Grayson already laid out.

"You're right. I'll go. For Wally…and for me." Dick decided and ate a piece of chicken; cafeteria lunch at Gotham Academy is like fine dining. But then again, there is a reason why the place is known as the richest and most prestigious institution in Gotham City.

Barbara fist pumped the air. "That's what I'm talking about!" She then punched her best friend on the arm with surprising strength coming from a lithe teenage girl. "Like I said, you just have to take this chance. You'll hate yourself if you don't. And besides…" The redhead wiggled her eyebrows. "Wally's worth the _stress_, if you know what I mean, _champ_."

Grayson cackled. "Ah shut up, Barb." The pretty girl snickered and munched on a piece of tomato.

"Oh wait, here." He then fished out twenty bucks from his pocket. "Put me down for Silver Mist. Bet twenty that she'll win." Truthfully, Dick would've put down a wee little bit more money, but Commissioner Gordon disproved of careless gambling, so Dick and Barbara made sure they stayed within reasonable boundaries.

"You got it, short stuff." Dick hated being called short.

"Don't call me 'short stuff', Ms. Speckled." Barbara downright _despised_ her freckles.

As they bickered about the usual stuff, the sun shined through the dome-like glass ceiling of the cafeteria. For Gotham City, it was an extremely beautiful day overall.

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><p><strong>To Be Continued...<strong>


	2. Quit Making Me Be Chalant Here!

**Author's Note**: This is the second chapter! Phew. I'm thinking about 2 more chapters to go. One of them being the epilogue...Well, let's just see how this goes first.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Young Justice.

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><p>It's been a week. Actually, it's been a week and three days.<p>

Kid Flash's patience quota for the _year_ has long been exceeded.

"Barb! What the hell, _woman_?" He hissed through his cell. "What did you say to him?"

"Don't come barking up my tree! I practically praised you to the high heavens, much to my horror and distaste. Now let me sleep! Do you even know what time it is?" A grumpy voice came through.

Wally sighed and flopped back down on his bed. "Rob's been ignoring me, Barb. I don't even know what he's thinking about these days. I used to know him so well back when things weren't complicated, but now I can't read him at all. It kinda creeps me out."

Barbara sighed heavily, feeling a little bad now. "Rob has a lot of knots to untie, Kid Mouth. The least you could do is be there for him in a physical and nonverbal way 'til the end."

"I would…if he stops pulling the ninja every time I'm within the vicinity. I mean I know that he's got these high expectations for himself, and it's not easy being the son of the Batman, but Rob needs to know that he can't just close himself off like that whenever trouble is a brewing." Wally scratched his head. "And we both know what would happen if I corner him. Dude, the kid's like a rabid cat that got denied his catnip or something. I mean it's cute,_ believe me_, but the last time that happened things didn't end well for me. Like that time when he was acting like a brat to everyone for no reason, I don't think you were there Barb, but anyways…"

The ginger-head flopped back down onto the bed as Kid Flash ranted on and on until she fell asleep with the phone dangling from her hand.

Men did talk too much.

* * *

><p>Dick paced back and forth in front of the TV in the team's common room.<p>

He could deal with the schoolwork, he could deal with the hero-overtime thing; heck, he could even deal with all the shit the media's going to pour on him if they ever find out about Wally.

He just couldn't deal with Bruce's disappointment.

Superboy has been watching the snowy screen with a strange fascination for the past half hour, completely ignorant of the fact that something keeps moving in front it every few seconds. M'gann eyed Robin with worry and confusion as she cooked their dinner in the kitchen. Artemis was sitting on one of the dining room chairs, admiring her new boots as well as her new quiver of arrows (gift from Red Arrow, surprisingly). Her back was turned so she couldn't see the youngest member who was soon to create a trench in the floor with his pacing. Kaldur had gone to his underwater homeland for a quick visit; the Queen specifically requested him to calm His Majesty down from his "soon-to-be-father" high, especially since the baby is coming any time now and she needed all her energy.

As for Kid Flash, for someone whose butt cannot be parked down for more than few seconds unless there's a good distraction, he felt very insulted that Robin was beating his record at being ADD. Well…_that_…and the fact that KF was pretty worried about his little bird.

In addition to the fact that Barbara Gordon completely abandoned him mid-conversation yesterday didn't help to calm his annoyance. Luckily, Wally got the chance to tape her snoring across the phone; he'll get back at her later.

"Dude, quit trying to drill a hole through the floor." Kid Flash joked and patted the space next to him.

Robin made this weird sound in his throat and plopped down onto the couch next to his boyfriend. He crossed his arms moodily and joined Superboy, who was still engrossed by the flurries on the screen.

'What the heck is he even trying to see?' Dick wondered. 'Eh. Must be a Kryptonian thing.'

Kid Flash smoothly slid his arm around the Boy Wonder's shoulders. "Sooo…wanna find a quiet place and rant to my ears?" He suggested.

"Nah. I'm okay, Walls."

And there it was again. That freakin' polite wall of rejection.

"Hey, listen, I gotta go somewhere with Bats, so I'm gonna ditch today." Dick lied and made a show of leaving.

Wally growled in his throat and Robin gave him a weird look. But before the Boy Wonder could make a run for it, Wally had already sped them into another room.

Shutting the door, the speedster heaved a disappointed sigh.

"Dick." Kid Flash crossed his arms. "You know you can tell me _everything_, right? Just saying, because we didn't become friends for a good six or seven years for nothing. And now that we're together… "

Robin didn't say anything, and refused to make eye contact.

"Bats on your mind again?" Wally smiled and sat down next to him. Seeing the boy's surprised face, Kid Flash felt a little encouraged; maybe he did understand his boyfriend better than he thought. "I thought so. You know, if you're that whelmed about it, I can be there when you tell him. Or better yet, I'll face his wrath and take your place. I don't ask for much, some lilies at my funeral would suffice."

Dick smirked. "Quit doing that." He punched Wally's shoulder.

"Doing what?"

"Making me be 'chalant' whenever I'm trying to be _nonchalant_ about it. It's gonna ruin my image some day."

Kid Flash snorted. "Oh please, Rob. You know you're nothing like the Bats."

At this, Robin got a bit nervous again. "I'm not?" His voice was steady, and betrayed no emotion.

"Of course you're not. You act like _Robin_, not like his shadow, and that's what I like about you." The ginger flung himself casually onto the bed of his personal quarters.

Richard gently blushed and grinned in pleasant surprise. Wally was right; Richard Grayson_ is_ his own person. Heck, even _Robin_ is different than his mentor, and Batman practically taught him everything he knew.

"And...That's okay, right? To be different from my dad." The Boy Wonder tentatively asked while he twiddled his thumbs.

Wally gave his boyfriend a weird look. "Dude, never change." He whispered to his beloved and cupped the smaller boy's face with his hands.

At that moment, Kid Flash has never seen the brunet look so vulnerable. The kid was constantly looking down, appearing very nervous and indecisive about something. Usually, the protégé of Batman would rather dunk himself into the ocean than to show his emotions; it was a matter of pride. But Wally was happy to know that sometimes pride wasn't very important to Robin, especially when he was with the ginger.

Wait a minute…

"You're worried that the Batman wouldn't accept you for who you are?" KF asked in surprise.

The brunet quickly removed himself from Wally's hold. "We're not related or anything. I mean, I love Bats more than anything else in this world –aside from you and Alfred, of course- and I don't want to disappoint him. That would be putting the double in the trouble. But it's like…I dunno!" Dick scratched his head.

"I love crime-fighting, and I love hanging out with you guys. I'm doing well in school, but partially why I do all that is because I want Batman to be proud of me. And I know letting me date isn't really on his agenda at the moment, and what would he think if I told him I'm gay?"

Wally West just couldn't take it anymore.

He cracked up.

Richard Grayson fumed. "It's. Not. Funny." He emphasized with each punch. "Bastard."

"Ow, ow, ow. Okay, sorry. Jeez." The ginger wiped a tear and nursed his arm. "Seriously, Boy Blunder, do you really think Batman is so narrow-minded that he would force his ambitions and beliefs on you?"

"Well…no…" Richard's happiness meant everything to Bruce.

Wally sat up and put his arm around Dick's shoulders; God, this kid could be so silly sometimes. "Dude, let me put it this way. You're about the most spoiled sixteen-year-old I've ever met. On top of that, he's damn protective after you come back from every mission –yeah, I can sense it- and lets you get away with way too much crap. He obviously doesn't do this with everyone."

"And Uncle Barry said that Batman's becoming a little less on edge and more approachable ever since he got himself a son. This coming from the Flash is like…do you even know how whelming that is? Flash and Batman _never_ get along."

Robin snickered. Why yes, that part was too true.

"Bottom line is Batman is ready to give you the world because you're the only one he's got. He'll support you no matter what. "

Wally watched anxiously as Robin sat there, contemplating. The ginger hoped that he wouldn't go into another brooding phase and just accept the truth; Batman was depressing enough for everyone.

Finally, Dick sighed. "I still want you there when he unleashes his wrath though."

"Bats won't disapprove-"

"I know. He won't disapprove of me; he'll just disapprove of you." Robin smirked and cackled. "After all, you _are_ the nephew of the Flash."

Wally West groaned. "I'm trying to work that out. The things I do for you, Dick…I swear."

Grayson stretched and flopped onto the bed. "Yeah, what can I say? I get the best of everything."

"Of course you do." KF smiled cheekily and fell on the younger boy. Dick huffed out a breath from the extra weight. "Kid Dork." He mumbled, but smiled nonetheless.

"You love me either way." The ginger smirked, very confident about himself. "But hey, I'm glad we had this talk though. Usually the moment I sense something you get all like, 'let's pull the ninja! 'Cause I know Wally hates it!' But I'm glad this time you didn't evade me."

Richard shrugged and threw his arms around Wally's neck. "Eh. I know you'll corner me sooner or later because you _need_ to know absolutely _everything_. Like always."

West laughed at himself a bit. "It's good to know stuff. And besides, your business is my business."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Dick gave him a look. "Tch, busybody." He muttered and kissed Wally to shut him up.

* * *

><p>"Hey, where did Kid Dork and Boy Blunder go?" Artemis asked and plopped down onto the couch.<p>

M'gann shrugged and put a simple dinner out for everyone. "I don't know. They were here a second ago." She then covered Wally and Dick's share with a plastic wrap. Kaldur most likely was dining with his extended family, seeing how he still wasn't back. But M'gann stored his food in the fridge, just in case.

Connor finally took his eyes off the snowy screen and Artemis snatched the remote and turned it to the sports channel.

"Did Roy give those to you?" Connor asked, his eyes now focused on the new quiver of arrows in her lap.

Artemis widened her eyes and coughed awkwardly. "What made you think that?" She muttered and blushed.

Superboy smirked. "Just a hunch I guess."

The blonde girl sulked. Stupid perceptive Kryptonians.

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><p><strong>To Be Continued...<strong>

**P.S: Did anyone see the new episode? Episode 19, "Misplaced". It was so good! And Zatanna- well, I won't spoil it for anyone. :) **


	3. Time Doesn't Wait for Anyone!

**Author's Note**: I am TERRIBLY sorry for my laziness. This story got kind of stuck because of my writer's block, so I had to stop writing for a while to work the kinks out. I have no idea how Richard/Robin interacts with Bruce/Batman outside of the league, so I tried my best to keep them both in character. In my point of view, Bruce is a lot more easygoing when he takes off his uniform.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Young Justice. But man! Season 2 threw me for a loop! What happened to M'gann and her bubbly personality? She got weird...

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><p>Richard Grayson stood in front of the double doors that led to Bruce's private study.<p>

He breathed in and let out a shaky breath.

"Come on. It's just Bruce. Quit being whelmed." The sixteen-year-old muttered to himself. "Moment of truth…ah, how do I put this? 'Bruce, I'm seeing Wally West because I like him.' No…Do you _want_ him to make you feel the aster?" The Boy Wonder scratched his head. "You know what? Screw it. Either way, it's gonna be a disastrous fall. Might as well…"

He raised his hand to knock on the door…and paused…

Dick Grayson can do this.

Dick can do this.

'_I can do this_.' He thought. '_I can_-'

"Need help opening the door, sir?" Alfred appeared out of nowhere, carrying a duster in one hand.

Grayson almost jumped at the unexpected presence of the famous butler. "Sheesh! Alfred, don't do that!" He was sure that if Alfred Pennyworth was younger, he would've passed as an excellent ninja. Perhaps living with two bats rubbed off on him.

"Of course, sir." The butler answered matter-of-factly. "Perhaps next time I shall tie a bell around my neck so you will know when I am near at all times."

The most amusing yet wonderful quality about Alfred was that you could never know whether he was being sarcastic or not.

Dick scratched his head sheepishly. "I wanted to talk to Bruce about…" He paused, unsure how to phrase his thoughts. "…stuff."

Wow, lame.

"Well if you were looking for Master Bruce, I'm afraid he left quite some time ago."

"Oh." Alfred could bet money that Master Richard looked downright relieved yet glum at the same time.

The butler sighed and dropped his poker face. "Something you want to tell me, sir?"

"…Eh…" Robin hesitated. "It's a complicated and messy situation."

"Well, talking about it with someone usually helps to unravel the knots in your heart, Master Richard."

"You really wanna get tangled up in my mess?"

"Surely you don't consider me as an outsider, Dick." Alfred dropped the formality and smiled. "However, it is up to you. But sooner or later I _will_ know; nothing escapes from the eyes of Alfred Pennyworth, not even Master Wayne's shenanigans."

Dick swore there was a hint of a mischievous sparkle in the old butler's eyes.

"I think a vacation for you once in a while will do you some good, Alfred." Grayson joked and followed his long time friend.

Alfred took this as a sign that Dick was willing to talk. "Oh I dare not think of it. Leaving you two unattended in a house with a kitchen is a crime that I cannot afford to commit."

They stepped into the pristine kitchen complete with white marble counter tops and white marble floors. The cherry wood cabinets gleamed from the gold rays of the afternoon sun. The brunet teen gracefully hopped up onto the little island, swaying his legs gently back and forth. For a moment, Alfred saw a nine-year-old Richard John Grayson again, looking curiously and with awe at Master Wayne's spacious mansion. Innocence radiated from the young circus boy like a halo, and despite his parents' tragic death, the boy was still a bundle of everlasting energy and sunshine.

Growing up did wonders though, Alfred decided with a nod to himself. Intelligent and quick-witted, Richard Grayson soon learned the ropes, figuratively and literally, in order to get by in a place like Gotham City. It was a wonder how the boy still kept his chipper and bright personality in this gruesome society.

Alfred smiled to himself and walked to one of the cabinets; Master Richard was indeed a child to be proud of.

"Whip out your apron, Master Richard, because we're making cookies."

* * *

><p>"So…I want to date this girl, right?" Robin started carefully, kneading the dough with both of his hands. Specks of flour dusted his arms and face as well as the light blue apron he wore.<p>

Alfred blinked. "A girl? I was under the impression that you held affections for Master Wallace."

Dick kind of freaked at that moment and did a weird, erratic motion with his arms. "_You knew_?"

The butler raised an eyebrow. "Why of course! It had been rather obvious...It _was_ obvious, wasn't it?" Alfred gave him a look.

"I…" The brunet weakly argued. "I hang out with Barbara too. It could be her for all you know."

"Miss Gordon has a boyfriend." Alfred countered smoothly, adding just a hint of sugar to the dough.

Dick was dumbfounded for a second. "Right. What was his name again? Jerry or something?"

"It's Jacob, Master Richard."

"Ah…the Turner kid." Dick mulled it over in his head. Jacob and Babs? That's amusing, especially since the Turner kid is a huge jock. Never knew Babs had a thing for nice-looking tennis players.

"So what about Master Wallace that has you so worked up?" Alfred asked, bringing the topic back to square one.

The brunet stopped kneading and listed off with his fingers. "His eating habits, his big mouth, not to mention that cocky personality of his-"

The old butler inwardly snorted in amusement at that particular bit; how ironic, not to mention a tad bit hypocritical of Master Richard.

"Everything about him makes me want to fly into a building. But it's not really him this time...it's more about Bruce."

The butler understood immediately, but decided to let Dick do all the explaining.

"Bruce is great." The teen started, picking at the hem of his apron. "Having him as a dad is like, a _dream _after what I've been through. And I know that he's a busy man, what with being Batman and the boss of his own company, and that's totally fine, even if it gets a bit lonely without him here. But then on occasion he would smile whenever I do something awesome, and I find myself thinking, 'Man, if only he could smile more often.' I know that I probably sound like I'm eager to please, but I really want Bruce to be proud of me. He probably doesn't want me to date just yet, and who knows what he'll do if I told him I want to date a _guy_. I mean, Bruce has just been more of a...women's man, you know? I don't know...this whole thing just sucks."

The old butler smiled and put a warm hand on his ward's shoulder. "I believe staying by him is enough."

The boy looked puzzled and stopped rolling the dough into a pancake; of course he'll stay by his dad. He was the only family he's got after all. "What do you mean, Alfred?"

"There are not many things I regret in my life, Dick." The old man said as he went over to get some cookie cutters. "And at my age, I simply don't have the energy to keep hounding about the past anymore. But if I could go back and change just one thing, it would've been my relationship with Master Bruce."

"After his parents were taken away, Master Bruce completely closed himself off. I was the only one left in this mansion but I failed to act like family towards him. And before I could, young Master Bruce had already grown up, and here I am, a butler, a long-time close companion, but what else?"

Alfred then pressed the shapes into the dough. For a second, Dick saw a spark of sadness and nostalgia in his old friend's eye, but it was quickly masked by Alfred's famous poker face.

"But _you_, Master Richard, you are the only family he's got. It is true that Master Bruce can be quite inept when it comes to emotions, and his lack of emotions is what distances himself from others, and makes many people question as to where do they stand in his heart. Of course he, along with me, is to blame for his behavior, but he sincerely loves you, Dick. He might not be the perfect father, but for you I am sure that he will do his best to become just that so you can be happy. After all, family _always_ loves and accepts one another. Master Bruce may do this in a peculiar fashion, but he is no exception."

Dick seemed to think about it while he poured the chocolate chips onto the cookies.

"You needn't worry." Alfred reassured. "After all, you are at that age to date, and teenagers must do what they do best. I'm sure Master Bruce would understand perfectly." He rolled his eyes a bit at that. "Breaking all those poor ladies' hearts..." He muttered to himself.

Robin giggled (it was on the masculine side) and smiled. "Thanks, Alfred." He said quietly, and in one swift moment, gathered his old friend into a hug.

The old butler blinked, and then smiled once again and patted his young ward on the head. "It is what family is for."

* * *

><p>When Bruce returned that night, he felt the urge to sigh. It wasn't anything major really; Mr. Fox had caught a bad virus so he wasn't able to go to work today, so naturally Wayne had to step in. There were also some preparations to be made for the business meeting with another Japanese company next week, so the man thought that he would get it done and over with now rather than later. He never was a procrastinator.<p>

"Welcome home, Master Bruce." Alfred said and took his coat.

Wayne nodded and made his way to his private office. "Good evening, Alfred."

"Dinner and hot tea in the office, sir?"

"Make that wine instead of tea." Bruce rubbed his temples, and then looked upstairs. "Dick's asleep already?"

"Not just yet." Answered the butler as he moved toward the kitchen. "He's in the kitchen. Master Richard and I had quite the heart-to-heart talk today."

The White Knight was intrigued. "About?"

Alfred smiled. "I'll let him fill you in on the details later, Master Bruce."

Wayne blinked. "Right." He chuckled before entering his office.

After Bruce ate his dinner, he leaned back in his chair with a glass of wine in his hand. A quiet knock came at the door.

"Come in."

Dick opened the door and came in with a plate of cookies he made with Alfred. "Hey, dad." He said casually, munching on a star-shaped one.

"Hey." Bruce set down his glass casually. "How are things with you nowadays?" He asked, thinking that this was a good time to catch up on what he missed.

"Well, I haven't ended up in the hospital yet for anything major so I guess everything is perfection."

Wayne snorted in amusement. "I know you're doing your job well as Robin, I meant school."

"Bleh."

"I'm afraid I don't specialize in teen talk, Richard." Bruce smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"It's alright. Babs is there and everything to protect me from harassment."

Bruce gave an airy chuckle. "I heard that the semi-finals for the math meet are coming up. How's the preparation?"

Dick gave his signature smirk and cackle. "_What _preparation?"

Wayne smirked and swirled his drink. "Confident as ever I see."

"Yup. So why are _you_ home so late?" The teen pointed at his father accusingly with a bat -shaped cookie .

Bruce raised an eyebrow at his son's unusual silly antics. Dick confirmed it by biting viciously into the pastry, completely severing its head from its winged body. His blue eyes narrowed mockingly, silently promising pain if the Batman told him a lie.

The playboy billionaire rolled his eyes.

"Business at the company. Why?"

"Huh...You sure little Miss Selina Kyle didn't call you out for a little rendezvous on top of the usual gargoyle statue?" Dick said sarcastically. "No? Maybe this time it's another weekend sweetheart. What's her name?"

Bruce sighed; this was definitely payback for not spending enough time at home with his son.

"Look, Richard. I promise, this was purely business." He stated honestly.

"The last time you said that I was greeted by a very curvy woman in the wee hours of the morning, and she made coffee with _my_ mug."

"You know, you're being unusually snappy today." The detective narrowed his eyes and turned the tables. "I know you're kind of the snappy talker to begin with but really, what's the matter? Did you fight with Wally?"

Dick slowed down his chewing and swallowed rather painfully. His mouth felt kind of dry and suddenly he remembered how important water is. "Ahhh..." He awkwardly choked. "No, Wally and I are fine."

The detective didn't believe him. "Well then, what's the problem?" He continued to ask anyway.

The teen gathered himself for a minute and concentrated. He had Bruce all to himself right at this moment; an ideal opportunity couldn't come any faster.

"I don't want Wally and I to be ...just _fine_." He stated.

The detective had a strong suspicion about where this was going, but refrained and let Dick do all the talking. He raised one delicate eyebrow to fake his mild confusion, silently urging his son to go on.

The teen swallowed. "I want to date Wally West."

The White Knight of Gotham gave his son a long hard stare as the awkward silence blanketed them both. Dick, despite the fact that he didn't want to, forced himself to stare into his adoptive father's dark pupils; he refused to give in on this, and he wanted Bruce to know that.

Personally, Bruce always knew this was going to happen one day. He saw the signs; all the subtle touching, the 'man-hugs', the piggyback rides, and the total disinterest in perfectly attractive girls on his son's part. Ever since Batman and the Flash introduced them to each other Dick had never went through a day without Wally.

And it was the same with the redhead, much to Batman's chagrin.

It wasn't that Bruce was against the concept of homosexuality; to be honest, he'd rather spend his time on matters that actually effects him and the league in some important way. It was just...

"But it's Wally West." He sighed and rubbed his temples. "You never fail to give me difficult equations to work with, do you Dick?"

The Boy Wonder shrugged and smirked impishly.

Wayne snorted to himself at this and leaned back in his leather chair; being a father was no piece of cake.

"On one condition."

"Anything." Dick answered immediately.

The billionaire blinked in mild surprise at the abrupt answer; already his son had sold his heart to that...that _devil _in disguise. A small prick of pain started in his heart, but the man was quick to shoot it down; his little bird was ready for his first real flight, and all he can do now is to accept that fact.

"_You will promise me_," Bruce emphasized. "That your new relationship with him will _not_ affect team dynamics during missions. You are to act how I've always trained you to, and in case of emergency you will not judge based on biased opinions. _Do you understand me_?"

"Crystal."

"And of course I trust you to keep up with your studies."

"That's two conditions, dad. But of course." Richard smiled eagerly. "So I take it that you agree?"

"Unfortunately." Bruce muttered before sipping his wine. "Now go and call him before I change my mind. I know how badly you want to let him know the '_good news_'." He added sarcastically.

The teen didn't need to be told twice. "Here, have the cookies!" He set the tray down before scrambling out of his office.

Alfred came in not long after to offer Master Bruce some truffles he made as a late night snack. In the old butler's mind this could be counted as comfort food, seeing how Master Bruce was no doubt sulking a bit on the inside over the loss of his son to Master Wallace, or as Bruce calls the kid (out of spite of course), that _moron_.

A few seconds later however, Dick popped his head into the room again. "Bruce, you're the best! So are you Alfred!" He practically beamed before zipping away again.

"Ah, you can't ever seem to stop them from growing up, can you?" Alfred smiled fondly as he placed some dessert truffles on the office table. In a way, Bruce suspected that his old friend's words were meant for him too.

"No…I guess not. Time doesn't wait for anyone."

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	4. You Know You Want To Get With This!

**A/N: I WILL GIVE YOU MY HUMBLE APOLOGIES!** I have to thank you all for being this patient with me. I'm sad to see that this story has so little reviews. But I have no one to blame but myself. This one took an inexcusable amount of time to finish! But it's here! Yay! Finally. :)

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><p>Bruce felt his own eye twitch in agitation and thanked the heavens for the umpteenth time that day that he had his cowl on.<p>

The Bat's ward was currently giggling and having a great time in the arms of Wally West, also known as Batman's new nemesis. The redhead was whispering into Robin's ear, causing him to smirk and snicker into Wally's shoulder. The speedster was smiling along with his boyfriend as he tightened his grip on Dick's waist.

Wayne tensed and crossed his arms, using his hand to grip his elbow. Such behavior in the BatCave! And they looked entirely too comfortable in the old bat's point of view. _Way_ too comfortable. Why he oughta-

"Sir!"

The billionaire turned toward his butler, not showing the fact that he was inwardly a bit startled at Alfred's call.

"What." He demanded in a monotone voice.

"Shall I take your uniform for cleaning, Master Bruce?" If the Englishman was mildly annoyed, he didn't show it.

He contemplated for a bit, but then decided against it; he had something more...important to take care of first. "...No. But take Dick upstairs with you to grab something for our..._most welcomed guest_." Bruce said, forcing out the last three words with mild difficulty.

Alfred gave his ward a look, but consented anyway. "I must warn you, please be gentle with the boy, sir. He is not workout equipment." He lectured. "Now, Master Richard! Yes, would you please come with me? The finest boxes of belgian chocolates came in today! I must assure you, they are quite a delight." The butler's voice faded as he ushered the young bird upstairs. "I also made raspberry stuffed scones. You'll have to help me carry extra servings down here, you know how startling Master Wallace's metabolism is, especially after a few laps around the city..."

The speedster intended on following Dick to the kitchen, but Batman pinned him to his place with a glare. "You and I will have a talk. And we have _much_ to talk about, Wallace West."

The redhead could only try to force his heart from jumping out of his mouth. _'Shit's going down...'_ He thought dreadfully.

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><p>Bruce Wayne felt himself twitch again and narrowed his eyes dangerously. He silently congratulated himself for leaving his uniform on; as much as he hated to admit it, Batman looked a hundred times more intimidating than Bruce Wayne ever could. And right now, the little red chirping canary needed some hardcore intimidation.<p>

Wally fidgeted his fingers and looked around nervously, feeling that slight pang in his heart again. He felt his own brain screaming bloody murder as it ran around in his skull in a fit of panic and hysteria. A small part of him was reprimanding his fingers to stop its little dance at once, but the redhead's nerves were telling that small part to shove it nice and tight up its metaphorical ass.

"Stop that." Batman demanded curtly, and Wally could practically feel the dark waves of disapproval radiating from the man.

Kid Flash did as he was told, but felt an urge to sigh in exasperation. What an attitude, he thought to himself as he stared at the general chest area of the physical form of the 'Spanish Inquisition'. Dick better treat him to pizza after this.

"Uhm..." Wally swallowed and laughed nervously. "Look, I know he's your bat baby and you're probably hating me right now because you think I'm going to defile your 'pure-as-snow-and-innocent little angel'. But I swear to all the bats in this cave that I will do no such thing-"

"Enough." The Bat growled and fought the urge to massage his temples; he didn't really want to be informed of _that_ side of the relationship quite yet, and if this shrimp tried anything he'll maim him with no hesitation. "I'll make this short and clear." He said strictly and crossed his arms. "_You_. Are very lucky. And I know that you _will_ treat him with the care and respect that Dick deserves."

"Yes, sir."

"Tread the waters carefully. And _don't_ disappoint me." This, in Bruce Wayne's language, was just another polite way of stating, _'I will be watching you, you penis-owning, bird-tainting, brain-polluting fiend. But you're not bad, so I'll give you a chance with my baby.'_

"Duly noted, sir." Kid Flash smiled weakly. "I'm just glad you accept the nature of our...uh...relationship."

"I don't judge." Came the gruff but sincere reply.

Just then, Alfred stepped out of the shadows along with Richard, both carrying plates full of snacks and food. "Raspberry scones, gentlemen?" He suggested.

Wally wasted no time to swipe a few, basking in the comfort of food.

But just when he was munching on the treat, the Englishman stood next to him and whispered, "It's not my nature to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help but overhear the civil conversation between you and Master Bruce."

The redhead snorted. _'Civil, my foot. And please define what it means to have a civil conversation with Batman.'_ He thought.

"But allow me to address a more pressing problem, Master Wallace. If I were you, I'd watch myself around Master Richard; who says _you_ will assume the upperhand in this relationship?" Alfred supplied lightly. He then smirked at the ginger which, honestly, Wally hoped to never see again.

He stared long and hard at the butler. "Please tell me you're joking." The redhead pleaded; he couldn't wear the pants around Batman, and now he can't wear the pants when he's with Dick? Preposterous.

"I rarely joke. It doesn't work well with Master Bruce."

"Liar! I refuse to take part in your mind games, old man."

"Another scone, Master Wallace?" Alfred didn't wait for his answer and instead put one into his hand before walking over to serve some to the head of the household.

The redhead blinked owlishly before taking another bite. "You're not being fair, and it's _Wally_." He grumbled sullenly. "Seriously, is being me difficult or what?"

From his place in front of the BatComputer, Dick only smirked through his cookie.

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><p>"Thanks for the help today, by the way." Dick placed yet another plate of red velvet cakes along with whipped cream in front of his boyfriend before going to sit at his desk. "We appreciate it. Who knew all the bad ladies of Gotham decided to have 'Girl's Night'."<p>

Wally snorted. "Yeah, I bet Batman enjoyed Catwoman's little show with all the prancing and the...strange pole dancing on the fire escape. How does she even move in those stilettos?"

Richard whistled. "Tricky woman, I tell you. Totally Bat's type."

Kid Flash had to agree.

The redhead ended up staying over for dinner at Wayne Manor after much insisting on Dick's part, since Wally was dead set on avoiding any more confrontations with the little robin's father. But once out of his uniform, however, Bruce Wayne turned out to be quite the suave and pleasant host. It was like he was a completely different person, West mused as he munched on the cake. No one could change their attitudes faster than the frickin Flash could run, but apparently the Batman always finds a way to mess with _everyone_.

But Wally couldn't complain -not really- since dinner didn't require the anticipated amount of agony and bloodshed, and Bruce was even kind enough to strike up a small conversation with him every now and then.

Uncle Barry was right when he said that the playboy billionaire was batshit crazy.

"So what do you think about my dad and Alfred?" The Boy Wonder spun around on his chair. "Officially whelmed? Or feeling the aster?"

"Your dad is an enigma, and your butler is a freak. I'd like to say officially overwhelmed and feeling the aster. Heavy on the dis." Kid Flash concluded from his position on Richard's bed. They were still in the Wayne Manor even though it was really late into the evening. Wally made a mental note to call Barry soon; Aunt Iris had a habit of worrying too much. "Yup. That sounds about right."

"Heh. Yeah." Dick scratched the back of his head and smiled impishly. "They have a funny way of showing affection, but they mean well. However, on a lighter note, I think they both like you."

"_Like me?_" Wally shot up from his relaxed position; this was the straw that finally broke the camel's back. "Alfred was smiling at me in a way that had me wanting to run to the next _planet_! And your dad was itching to get his hands on a nutcracker so that I can't defile you, you _oblivious...wonderful...crazy prick_!" He then flopped down and buried his head into the mountain of pillows. "He thinks you're innocent. I swear, that's complete and utter _bull_..."

The brunet looked at his boyfriend fondly as he raved and flailed about like a dog on his bed. He tried his best to stifle a laugh when Wally attempted to drill his head into the mass of pillows, leaving his bum high up into the air. Seriously, he needed a picture of this just in case he ever got bored in the future.

"Alfred _still_ can't get my name right! I swear, he's doing this on purpose. I know he is! 'Good evening, Master Wallace.' 'Would you care for another treat, Master Wallace?' It's Wally. _Wally_!" The redhead fumed as he strangled a particularly fluffy pillow in his grasp. Dick eyed it with hidden nervousness; it was his favorite pillow too.

But gradually, the speedster's hands loosened its hold on the fabric, and he let out a big sigh. "You know...call me sick, but if there _was _a silver lining in this depressing gloomy cloud, then it _would_ be the fact that they were so tough on me. You guys are insane and totally dysfunctional, but you stick together and make it work...Bruce and Alfred, they must really love you."

With a twitch of the lips, Dick smiled. "Yeah...insane and dysfunctional, that's how we work."

"Totally...hey, why are you sitting over there?"

The brunet raised an eyebrow. "Is it not normal to sit here? In a _chair _no less?"

Wally pouted and reached out a hand as if trying to grab him. "It's criminal! What's wrong with sitting with me? Still think the Wall-man's got cooties from like, third grade?"

Dick rolled his blue eyes and turned toward his laptop. "I wouldn't doubt it. But I've got a project due soon, so I need to get going on it...or else it's another all-nighter with enough coffee that will make me pee like a waterfall."

"Pfft." The redhead laughed. "Procrastination is God's gift. And are you telling me you don't want to get with _this, Boy Wonderful_?"

"Stop that. It scares me."

"Sorry."

So _this_ was the distraction bit that Barbara was talking about. Dick really didn't know whether he should be amused or...well...whelmed, really.

"I'll work first, and then sit with you. Then we can share our feelings and maybe I'll even paint your nails. But right now-"

"Your new project, may I dare assume, was assigned to you at the end of last week. You spent your weekend collecting all the necessary sources and most likely have already pulled the key elements out of _those_ sources for your report. Speaking of report, you have exactly three copies saved in your laptop: one outline, one first draft, and one revised draft _from_ the first draft. For the rest of this month before the project is due, you will spend your time tinkering with the tiniest details of that damned piece of perfection until it's even more perfect. Now, all I ask of you is to take a break from your OCD tendencies and sit with me. Nail-painting and feeling-sharing are welcomed wholeheartedly." Wally finished off with a wide grin.

"...You're right. I spend way too much time with you." Richard concluded incredulously; his boyfriend was right in every one of his assumptions. It was unsettling.

"Touché." Green eyes winked. "Now, pretty bird, pleeeeeaaaaaaaaseeeee-"

"Fine!" The Boy Wonder finally gave up. "_Fine, I'll get with you, you moron!_" He said before pouncing onto the bed.

Babs had better be right; trying to get used to this distraction better be worth the trouble.

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><p>Honestly, Barbara felt a little bad.<p>

She really didn't mean to fall asleep when Wally was still rambling. Granted, if it was about food or anyone else other than Richard, she couldn't care less if she actually told the speedster to 'fuck off'. But this was different; the redhead was obviously distressed, and she totally left him to fend for himself...at the most ridiculous hour in the morning, but still!

Babs had been arguing with herself for the few past few days on whether an apology was necessary. Deep down, she knew it really was, but the only reason why she didn't pick up the phone was because her pride was larger than how much Wally could stuff down his mouth in one sitting.

But no matter how much the kid annoyed him, Barbara was still fair; she really should say sorry and hopefully, her shoulder won't get wet from his big mournful tears later on.

And so she dialed Wally West's number, and to her mild annoyance no one was picking up. Unfortunately for her, Barbara didn't really rehearse what she should say, but before she could even think about that the voicemail message started.

"Hi. You've reached Wally West. Sorry that I'm not available at the moment, but take a minute, relax, and enjoy the soothing sounds of dear Barbara Gordon's beauty sleep!" A series of snores then started, and to Barbara's great embarrassment they did not get any softer.

The woman cursed at herself for not hanging up the phone before drifting off; Wally was always up to no good.

After the humiliation ended -Barbara could only imagine how many of Wally's friends, or even worse, _Dick_ heard this- she finally heard the beep. The ginger-head growled into the phone with menace. "Wallace West. You will _die_."

Apology be damned. She was going to kill the bastard.

**FIN**

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><p><strong>AN:** Thank you to those who suggested AnimeFlavor to me; it's been a blast catching up with Young Justice. But at the same time, it was depressing. I don't like it when M'gann is sad and so emotionless. Granted, being in the superhero gig makes you mature fast, but seeing her lose her bubbly personality makes me feel like she lost a part of herself. I partially blame Superboy, but then again he's got his own Kryptonian problems. Watching these two sometimes makes me want to pull my hair out; it's like watching a soap opera. And Lagoon Boy? Totally a rebound in my point of view. Sometimes I feel like the creators turned him into a dickwad so the viewers won't sympathize with him and hate on M'gann if he ever got dumped. But can I hear some love for WonderGirl and Blue Beetle? I have two words: YUM-MIE! Cassie is absolutely gorgeous, and Jaime? That wonderful bag of hot latino pepper is dancing on my heart! But yeah...please review. Thanks!


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